Siemens regenerative furnace.



d PATENTEDJAN. 2, 1906. A. KURZWERNHART.

SIEMENS REGENERATIVE FURNACE.

APPLIUATION FILED MAR.16, 1905.

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PATENTED JAN. 2, 1906.

A. KURZWERNHART. SIEMENS REGENERATIVE FURNAGB.

APPLICATION FILED MARJS, 1905.

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, fUNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

SIE'NIENS REGENERATIVE FURNACE.

Speccaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 2, 1906.

Application flied March 16, 1905. Serial No. 250,408.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ADALBERT KURZWEEN- HART, a subject of the Emperor of Austria- Hungary, residing in Zuckmantel, near Teplitz, Bohemia, Austria-Hungary, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Siemens Regenerative Furnaces; and I do hereby declare the following to bel a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, Io such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to numerals of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention consists in certain improvements in Siemens regenerative furnaces having for their object to provide means for utilizing waste gas or products of combuszo tion or other gases to force the combustible gas into the furnaces.

It has already been purposed in Siemens regenerative furnaces to force the 'gas remaining in the regenerative chamber before the reversal of the gas and air currents into the furnace by air, an inlet for which is provided at a suitable point and to there consume it. This, however, has the disadvantage that a small quantity of explosive mixture can and often does form at the point of meeting of the air and gas, which is of course 'not desired in the practical working of the apparatus and which is only discovered upon the starting of the flame. I have discovered that by using waste gas, smoke, and other products of combustion instead of air to remove the combustible gas in the gasregenerative chamber the formation of explosive mixtures can be overcome.

In a copending application, Serial N o. 206,098, filed May 3, 1904, I have described and claimed the method involved.

The present invention is an apparatus whereby that method can be carried out.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein my apparatus is fully illustrated in several forms thereof, Figure 1 shows the regenerative apparatus of a Siemens furnace in horizontal section. Figs. 2 and 3 are vertical 5o sectional views of two arrangements of apparatus in which a blower or fan is employed to cause the waste gases and products of combustion in the flue to displace the gases in the regenerative chambers. Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of an arrangement in which instead of using a fan, which simultaneously produces a suction and compresses a gasometer which acts by alternately forming a suction and compressing, is employed. Fig. 5 is a modification of what is shown in Fig. 4 involving the use of more than one gasometer. Fig. 6 shows an arrangement in which a steam or other fluid injector is employed instead of a fan, this arrangement working on the same principle as that shown in Figs. 2 and 3 5 and Figs. 7 and 8 show arrangements whereby the smoke and other products of combustion in the flue are withdrawn by a suitable suction means, such as the draft of the chimney, being replaced by air from outside.

In Fig. 1 is shown the regenerator apparatus of a Siemens furnace and the valve for regulating the gas and air flow. 1 and 4 are the two air-regenerative chambers, and 2 and 3 the two gas-regenerative chambers. 5 isa vertical passage for supplying the gas. 6 is the air-admission port; 7, the gas-controlling i valve; 8, the air-controlling valve; 9, the smoke-fine, and 10 and 11 and 10 and 11l the channels affording communication between the valves 7 and 8 and the several regenerative chambers. In the position of the valves shown in this figure chamber 1 is filled with air and chamber 2 with gas. Chambers 3 and 4 are filled with combustible gases. If the valves are reversed, (turned into the dotted-line positions,) gas and air would flow through chambers 3 and 4, respectively, and the air and gas contained in chambers 1 and 2, respectively, would escape into the fiue 9. By the present inven-l tion means is provided whereby before the reversing smoke or waste gas follows into the regenerative chambers filled with combustible gases.

Referring rst to Fig. 2, the smoke-fiue 9 is connected with a blower or fan 14 by a pipe 12, which discharges into the gas-supply pipe 5. 15 is a valve which is inserted in the pipe 12 between the fan and the point of discharge of said pipe 12 into pipe 5. This pipe is normally closed, so that during the normal action of the furnace no gas can fiow from the gas-supply pipe 13 through the fan and pipe 12 into the flue. This valve can be self-act- 13 is a valve IOO in pipe 13', which is shut off when the fan is operating. If nowbefore the reversing-valve 13 is closed and 15 opened and the fan then set into operation, the smoke or waste gas in the flue 9 would be drawn out therefrom and ,pressed into the gas-regenerative chamber.

The fan should continue in action until all the gas forced out of the regenerative chambers in this way is consumed.

Referring to Fig. 3, instead of the two valves 13 and 15 a single valve can be used to shut off the flow of gas and simultaneously permit the discharge of the fan into passage 5, or vice versa.

Referring to Fig. 4, there is here used a means which alternately draws the smoke out of the flue and then forces it into the regenerative chamber instead of simultaneously forming these two functions as in the case of the fan above described. I-Iere a bell 17 is immersed, inverted, in water, being controlled as to its position by a counterweight 18. The pipe 12 may be said to lead through the bell 17, a portion thereof being removed Within the bell. The part of the pipe which leads through the flue 9 into the bell is controlled at its discharge end (within the bell) by an upwardly-open valve 19. The part of said pipe 12 which leads from the bell to passage 5 is controlled by valve 20,

' opening in relatively the same direction as valve 20 into the-passage 5.

valve 19. By this arrangement the contents of the flue 9 can be drawn into the bell by raising the bell between the reversing periods, and then just before a reversing it can be lowered to force the gas in the bell past the The cubical contents of such a bell should therefore be as large as that of the regenerative chambers, exclusive of the bricks inclosed therein.

' As shown in Fig. 5, instead of one bell two bells 21 and 22 may be used, being connected by a lever 23, so that when one rises the other falls.

In Fig. 6 as a simultaneous suction and force contrivance an injector 34 of steam, air, or other fluid can be used, drawing smoke Jfrom the flue 9 and forcing it into the passage 5, the same as in those forms already described.

It will be understood that where there is more than one furnace in operation it is possible to have a common means for drawing out the smoke from their various flues and forcing it into their regenerative chambers to replace the combustible gases therein contained.

In Figs. 7 and 8 a portion of the flue is tem orarily cut off from what continues to be tlie fiue proper, and the smoke in the former is drawn out therefrom, forced through the regenerative chamber, ultimately discharging from the flue proper. To the smokeassage 24 is connected the smokechanne 9, which is divided into two parts 25 and 26. The portion 25 is of such size as to maintain a sufficient draft under all conditions. 27 is a valve which can either be moved to open up both passages 25 and 26 or close off the passage 26. Between the ends of the port 26 is arranged the valve 28, which may be moved to either cut olf the way through said port or the discharge from an air-supply pipe 29. 5 is the gas-supply pipe and 13 the valve controlling the flow of gas therethrough. 30 is the air-supply pipe. 31 and 32 are the reversing-valves for the gas and air supply pipes, respectively. 12 is the pipe which connects the port 26 of the flue with the passage 5, and 33 is a valve controlling the way therethrough. During the position of normal working of the furnace the various valves stand in the position shown in Fig. 7. In this arrangement both ports 25 and 26 act together as the flue. Upon reversing valve 13 is closed, valve 33 opened, and valves 27 and 28 arranged to shut off the way through port 26'. The draft through port 25 draws the combustible gases in the regenerative chamber through the furnace, being followed by the smoke and external air, the latter flowing in through the admission-port 29. As soon as the flame Vin the furnace is extinguished valve 33 is shut and the other valves opened. The cubical contents of port 26 between valves 27 and 28 should be at least as large asthe volume of gas which is to be pressed into the furnace from the regenerative chambers. The chamber between the valves 27 and 28 must not be a proper smoke-channel, but might be shaped as a chamber of any form which as to its volume is large enough and at suitable places foreseen with suitable valves. Iiikewise another channel or chamber filled with flue-gases may be used in lieu of the channel belonging to the furnace, substantially as described.

I-Iaving thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a Siemens regenerative furnace, the flue for products of combustion, a passage between the gas-regenerative chambers and the flue, a cut-olf in said passage, and means for causing the gases to flow, previous to reversing the apparatus, from the flue through the said passage into the gas-regenerative chamber, whereby the flue-gases cause a displacement into the furnace of the combustible gases contained in the gas-regenerative chamber, substantially as described.

2. In a Siemens regenerative furnace, the

flue for products of combustion, a passage bef tween the gas-regenerative chambers and the flue, a cut-off in said passage and means for sucking the flue-gases, previous to reversing the apparatus, from the flue through the said passage into the gas-regenerativev chamber, whereby the sucking action causes a displace- IOO IZO

ment into the furnace of the combustible gases contained in the regenerative chamber, substantially as described.

3. In a Siemens regenerative furnace, the lue for products of combustion7 a passage between the gas-regenerative chamber and the flue, a cut-O in said passage, and means for mechanically impelling the flue-gas from the Hue through the said passage into the gasregenerative chamber previous to reversing the apparatus, substantially as described.

'4. ln a Siemens regenerative furnace, the flue for products of combustion, a passage betWeen the gas-regenerative chamber and the 

